Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track

The Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Altenberg, Germany.

History

Altenberg raced bobsleigh as early as 1908 on a natural track going downhill. [http://www.bobwm2008.com/index.php?lang=eng&content=bahn_jahre 100 years of bobsleigh racing at Altenberg] ] By the late 1970s, the East Germans who were already successful in luge, began getting success in bobsleigh. This included a total of six Winter Olympic medals in bobsleigh in 1976 and 1980, along with five world bobsleigh championship medals between 1977 and 1979. [ [http://sports123.com/bob/mo-2.html Bobsleigh two-man Olympic medalists: 1932-56 and since 1964] ] [ [http://sports123.com/bob/mo-4.html Bobsleigh four-man Olympic medalists: 1924, 1932-56, and since 1964] ] [http://sports123.com/bob/mw-2.html Bobsleigh two-man world championship medalists since 1931] ] [ [http://sports123.com/bob/mw-4.html Bobsleigh four-man world championships medalists since 1930] ] In an effort to increase East Germany's effort to win more bobsleigh and luge medals both at the Winter Olympics and their respective sport's world championships, a track was constructed. The track at Altenberg was constructed under the order of then-Stasi (Ministry for State Security in East Germany) Minister Erich Mielke. Construction began in 1981 under restrictive access with a wire fence and armed patrols from the Landstreitkräfte (East German National People's Army) on orders from Mielke. By 1983, construction was completed though trials were less than successful. This would result in turns 11 and 12 being destroyed and rebuilt. It was not until late 1986 when the track was officially completed with homologation received from both the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) and the International Luge Federation (FIL) the following year. [ [http://www.bobbahn-altenberg.de/bildarchiv.htm Picture of tracks during construction period of 1981-6] de icon] The track was part of the training used by SG Dynamo Zinnwald/ SV Dynamo until the 1990 German reunification [ [http://der.ssv-altenberg.de/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topictoview=9 Link to proof the Dynamo track] de icon] [ [http://der.ssv-altenberg.de/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=1&page_id=342 SV Dynamo bobsleigh link] de icon] . Men's skeleton first competed in 1992. [ [http://www.bobbahn-altenberg.de/tr_rec/br_skel_herren.htm Historical records of men's skeleton since 1992 at Altenberg] de icon] In 1997, the women's single luge start house was created before turn three after being shared with the men's double luge start house before turn seven from 1989 to 1996. [ [http://www.bobbahn-altenberg.de/tr_rec/br_rs_damen.htm Historical records of luge women's singles track records since 1986 at Altenberg] de icon] Women's skeleton first began competition in 1999 while women's bobsleigh first started the following year. [ [http://www.bobbahn-altenberg.de/tr_rec/br_skel_damen.htm Historical records of women's skeleton since 1999 at Altenberg] de icon] [ [http://www.bobbahn-altenberg.de/tr_rec/br_2er_damen.htm Two-woman bobsleigh track records since 2000 at Altenberg] de icon] An 18th curve was modified during the summer of 2007 with the addition of a finish curve and straightaway. [http://www.bobbahn-altenberg.de/bahn.htm Track profile] de icon] The weekend of February 1-3, 2008 had the track hosting the 200th FIL Luge World Cup event that began in December 1977. [ [http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/no-drudgery-after-luge-festival-in-thuringia.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=b0f03d809f FIL-Luge.org on the 200th Luge World Cup event taking place at Altenberg during the weekend of February 1-3, 2008.] - accessed January 31, 2008] The track was awarded the 2012 FIL World Luge Championships at the 2008 FIL Congress in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on June 28th of that year following Whistler, British Columbia's bid withdrawal. [ [http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/56th-fil-congress-in-calgary.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=7064cd6a9f FIL-Luge.org announcement of FIL World Luge Championships 2012 finalists.] - accessed May 1, 2008.] [http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/56th-fil-congress-in-calgary-2.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=a151930c21 FIL-Luge.org June 28, 2008 announcement of the 2012 World championships being awarded to Altenberg.] - accessed June 29, 2008.]

Track technical details

The track is powered by four refrigeration condensers each with a 200 kW (268 hp) capacity which combined can keep the track frozen at ambient conditions up to 20 deg C (68 deg F). [http://www.bobwm2008.com/index.php?lang=eng&content=bahn_technik Technical details of Altenberg] ] Its storage tanks hold up to 45 metric tons (49.5 tons) of ammonia, generating the equivalent of 12,000 household refrigerators. There a total of fifty sensors located throughout the track with its staff contacted at a moment's notice if anything bad occurs. Monitoring is done by closed-circuit television to further enhance track security The icing of the track starts in October, taking eight workers one week to evenly ice the track to a layer of 2-6 cm (0.79-2.36 in) at a temperature of -13 deg C (9 deg F).

tatistics

Championships hosted

*FIBT World Championships: 1991 (bobsleigh), 1994 (men's skeleton) [ [http://sports123.com/ske/mw.html FIBT men's skeleton world championships men's skeleton results since 1989] ] , 2000 (men's bobsleigh), 2008 [ [http://www.bobwm2008.com FIBT World Championships 2008 official website] cs icon, en icon, & de icon]
*FIL European Luge Championships: 2002 [ [http://sports123.com/lug/me-s.html FIL European Luge Championships mens's singles results since 1914] ]
*FIL World Luge Championships: 1996 [ [http://sports123.com/lug/mw-s.html FIL World Luge Championships men's single results since 1955] ] "2012"

References

External links

* [http://www.bobwm2008.com FIBT World Championships 2008 official website] cs icon, en icon, & de icon
* [http://fibt.pixabit.de/index.php?id=97&track_id=7&L=0 FIBT track profile] - Click on video for ride down the track. It will show the bobsleigh-skeleton part intersecting with the men's single luge track prior to turn one, the women's single luge track prior to turn three, and the men's doubles luge track prior to turn seven.
* [http://www.fil-luge.org/filext/Track/altenberg_en.htm FIL-Luge track profile]
* [http://www.bobbahn-altenberg.de Official website] de icon